Switch structure



M. GUETT May 6, 1930.

SWITCH STRUCTURE Filed March 30, 1927 Mew/1'- %rarae 5x952 Patented May 6, 1930 r a 1. 7 11 I. Ea

MONROE GUETT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE ARROW-HABIT 85 I-IEGEMAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CON- H NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT SWITCH STRUCTURE Application filed March 30, 1927. Serial No. 179,643.

One object of my invention is to so construct a switch structure that the cover plate will be secured to the base of the switch structure and independent of the main portion of the switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide attached means which can be moved laterally to bring said means in alignment with the holes in the cover plate.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing a series of switch structures secured to a cover plate;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

F Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 33,

Flgjl; is a detached perspective View showing a base of a switch structure with two posts to which the cover plate is secured; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a cover plate.

When a number of switch structures are used in one location, it is desirable to group the said structures and mount them under a cover plate, which is slotted for the passage of the operating levers.

The cover plate is usually made of nonconducting material, and the holes for the means of attaching the switch structure to the plate are bored and the plate finished before the switches are assembled.

In many instances the holes in the cover plate do not align with those on the switch structures, and the usual practice was to distort the switch structures until their holes were in alignment with those of the cover plate. This distortion in many instances prevented the proper working of the mechanisms.

By my invention the means on the switch structures which are secured to the cover plate can be adjusted to align with the holes in the cover plate without distorting the mechanisms of the switches.

The cover plate 1 is preferably made of any suitable non-conducting material. In the cover plate, in the present instance, are slots 2 for the operating levers 3 of the switch mechanisms 4, and holes 5 for the screws 6 which attach the switch mechanisms 4 to the said plate.

Each switch mechanism, in the present instance, has a base 7 of fibre or other non-conducting material, and the frame 8 of the switch is secured to this base. The operating lever 3 is pivoted to the frame and actuates the switch blades 9 in the ordinary manner, the contacts 10 bein mounted on the base, as shown in Fig. 3. %)n the upper end of the frame 8 is a plate 11 which has an opening for the operating lever 8. This plate is directly under the cover plate 1.

Projecting from each side of the base are posts 12, which extend from the base to the underside of the cover plate 1. These posts are firmly attached to the base and have threaded holes 13 at their upper ends to receive the screws 6 which pass through the openings 5 in the cover plate.

The posts being of considerable length and the base being of fibre, they can be flexed to a limited extent to bring the openings in the posts in line with those of the plate. By this construction, the switch structures can be readily attached to the plate without distorting the operating mechanisms of the switches.

I claim 1. Means for permitting a switch structure to be attached without detrimental distortion to a preformed cover plate having holes therein, comprising a switch structure mounted under the plate and having operating means projecting therethrough; a flexible base on the switch structure; posts secured to the base and extending to the underside of the cover plate; and means for securing the posts to the cover plate, the flexible base permitting the posts to be secured in holes in the cover plate even though the posts and holes might not have been originally in alignment.

2. Means for permitting a switch structure to be attached without detrimental distortion to a preformed cover plate having holes therein, comprising a frame; operating means carried thereby; a non-conducting flexible base supporting the frame; posts secured to the base and projecting on each side of the frame; and means for attaching said posts to the cover plate independently of the frame, the flexible base permitting the posts to be secured in holes the cover plate even rice though the posts and holes might not have been originally in alignment.

3. Means for permitting a switch structure to be attached Without detrimental distortion to a preformed cover plate having holes therein, comprising a switch structure mounted under said plate and having operating means projecting through the cover plate, said switch structure having a non-- conducting flexible base; tWo elongated posts riveted thereto and extending on each side of the switch structure, said posts having screwthreaded openings at their outer ends, the cover plate having openings aligning with the openings in the posts; and screws extending through the openings in the plate and into the threaded openings in the posts, the flexible base permitting the posts to be secured in holes in the cover plate even though the posts and holes might not have been originally in alignment.

MONROE GUETT. 

